Drives® Chp® Chains Keep Cooling Towers Moving Where Chain Lubrication Isn’t Possible Case Study

A Solution for the Food & Beverage Industry
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Projects > Drives® Chp® Chains Keep Cooling Towers Moving Where Chain Lubrication Isn’t Possible Case Study

The Challenge

A major player in the food and beverage industry operates spiral cooling towers in their baking operations. These towers are crucial for maintaining product quality and efficient production in a high-temperature environment where chain lubrication is not possible. The facility faced frequent chain elongation and failure with the competitor’s chain requiring replacement every four months. This issue led to mistimed cooling tower operations, significant downtime, and escalating costs. Each hour of downtime cost the company $12,500 totaling $54,600 for chain replacement and production downtime losses reaching $75,000 over two years.

The Solution

To address the challenge, the customer installed Drives® Extended Life CHP® chain, recommended for its durability under high heat and speed, and its ability to operate without lubrication. The Drives CHP chain cost $11,250, a modest increase over the previous chain, but aimed to provide longer operational life and reduced downtime.

The Result

After switching to Drives CHP chain, the customer experienced significant improvements. The new chain operated reliably for 19 months, with a projected replacement interval of 24 months—six times longer than the previous chain. This upgrade has resulted in total cost savings of $118,350 over two years, with $96,750 saved at time of publication. Production interruptions decreased dramatically, and the timing of the spiral cooling tower has remained consistent, supporting smoother operations and higher productivity.

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